ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Student political groups at Elizabethtown College are uniting to protect one group’s right to start a conversation about a topic they think is important.

Last week, the Elizabethtown College Democrats started distributing white puzzle piece pins to create awareness of the topic of so-called “white privilege”, and while some other groups may not agree with the topic, they are standing with them on speaking out.

On Thursday night, leaders of the College Democrats, College Republicans and the Young Americans for Liberty, held a closed-door meeting to discuss ways forward after the Democrats’ initiative gained international attention and prompted negative comments on social media.

The groups had a “positive discussion” and are drafting a joint statement that will be released through the college’s office of marketing and communications on Friday, according to Dr. Kyle Kopko, an assistant dean at the college and an advisor to the College Republicans.

What is also expected is that leaders of the groups will take information back to their respective groups and potentially unite to hold some sort of discussion event or events on race relations, Kopko said.